Czechs could face Saudi sanctions over president’s remarks

The Czech Republic could face trade sanctions from Saudi Arabia over
anti-Islamic remarks by President Miloš Zeman, the Czech foreign minister
says. Mr Zeman’s comments, linking terrorism to “Islamic ideology”
were also condemned by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation but its
demands for an apology have been rejected by the Czech head of state.

Miloš Zeman, photo: Filip Jandourek
The Czech ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Jiří Slavík, was summoned to the
country’s foreign ministry on Sunday to explain the latest remarks by
President Miloš Zeman, the Czech daily Lidové noviny reported on Friday
quoting sources from the Czech foreign ministry.

Mr Zeman delivered his remarks at a reception at the Israeli embassy in
Prague marking Israel’s Independence Day last month. Referring to a
recent violent attack in Belgium, the president said that “Islamic
ideology rather than individual groups of religious fundamentalists was
behind violent actions similar to the gun attack at the Jewish Museum in
Brussels”.

But the Czech ambassador had more explaining to do than that. “The
Saudis had a comprehensive list of everything Zeman ever said on this
topic. There were several pages of it. The ambassador was in a very awkward
position; their protests had never gone that far,” a source from the
Czech foreign ministry told the paper.

Mr Zeman has a history of controversial comments about Islam; in 2011, for
example, he referred to Islam when he said that “the enemy is the
anti-civilisation spreading from North Africa to Indonesia. Two billion
people live in it." He also compared Muslim believers to the Nazis.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, a Saudi-based association of 57
Muslim countries, has also demanded an apology from Mr Zeman. But the Czech
president declined, possibly adding more insult to the injury. Mr President
has certainly no intentions to apologize as he would consider it a
blasphemy to apologize for quoting a holy Islamic text”, his spokesman
said earlier this week.

Czech Foreign Minister Lubomír Zaorálek has voiced concerns about the
possible impact of the controversy, fearing it could jeopardize several
planned investment projects in health care and agriculture. “We should
stay clear from religion and realize this could have economic
consequences,” the minister told Lidové noviny.

Mr Zaorálek said a meeting with the ambassadors of Arab countries to the
Czech Republic should take place at the ministry next week, with the
president’s comments on top of the agenda. An Arab diplomat however told
the daily that a clear stance of the Czech government distancing itself
from the president’s position would help much more.